Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) prevent, (b) protect people from and (c) warn people about health scams related to the covid-19 outbreak.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the regulatory body for the safety of medicines and medical devices.

The MHRA reports that products that have fallen into their regulatory remit during the covid-19 outbreak have included unlicensed anti-viral medication, non-compliant surgical face masks and self-testing kits. These products have not undergone the appropriate regulatory checks and or they have not been manufactured in accordance with the regulations meaning their safety and performance cannot be verified. Consequently, they do not meet United Kingdom regulatory standards. Working in close collaboration with the Border Force, the MHRA have made over 70 seizures at the ports alone.